Jack Ward served as chairman and chief executive officer of Russell Corporation, a $1.4 billion international sporting goods company, from April 1998 until August 2006.  Ward began his career with Procter & Gamble and H.J. Heinz and joined the L’eggs division of Hanes Corporation in 1972.  In 1992, he was appointed Senior Vice President of Sara Lee Corporation, the acquirer of Hanes Corporation, and named Chief Executive Officer of the multi-billion dollar Hanes Group of companies in 1993.
 

Ward is a member of The Board of Directors for the Atlantic Capital Bank.  He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Goizueta Business School at Emory University, the Board of Trustees for Salem College, the Board of Councilors of The Carter Center, the Board of Governors for The Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility, and the Foundation Board for the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
 

Ward has served on a number of Boards of Directors for public and private corporations and was a past chairman of the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA).  In 2004, he was on of the 10 national business leaders recognized by the Diversity Best Practices and Business Women’s network for his outstanding commitment to diversity.  He is a frequent speaker on the subjects of ethics, diversity and corporate responsibility.  Currently he serves as Executive-in-Residence for The Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility for the J. Mack Robinson School of Business, Georgia State University.